Missouri S&T student wins EPA Greater Research Opportunities Fellowship

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded Missouri University of Science and Technology student Katherine Bartels a Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowship, which will allow her to further her environmental engineering education.

“The GRO fellowship allows me to continue my research on the potential cooling effects provided by green roofs and the varying depths and mixture design of green roof media,” Bartels said. “Ultimately I hope to show that the relation of water storage capacity to potential cooling can then be used as a tool for implementing green roofs to combat urban heat island effects.”

Bartels was one of 34 undergraduate students from 28 colleges and universities to receive fellowships this year. Through the GRO program, they will receive $30,000 for up to two years as they pursue their degrees, as well as a summer internship with the EPA at one of its facilities across the country.

“With the help of this funding, undergraduates will be able to explore their passion in environmental science and cultivate their research skills,” EPA science advisor and Office of Research and Development Deputy Assistant Administrator Thomas A. Burke said. “These fellows are the next generation of scientists, who will help lead the way in protecting the environment and public health.”